Advanced Progressive Wager Game

ABSTRACT

A method for operating a lottery style game of chance is disclosed that offers a player the opportunity to parlay previous prize winnings into larger potential prize winnings, comprising the steps of selecting a single number from a group of numbers for a given drawing period, randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbers for the given drawing period, comparing the selected number with the winning number for the given drawing period, and increasing the size of the potential prize each time the number the player selected continues to match the randomly generated winning number.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of priority based on U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/806,737 filed on Jul. 07, 2006,which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Thepresent invention is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/206,369 filed on Aug. 18, 2005, which is herebyincorporated in its entirety by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to games of chance and, moreparticularly, to a lottery based game of chance that allows a player theoption to retain a prize from winning a lottery game or the opportunityto relinquish the prize in exchange for the chance to win a largerprize.

2. Background Art

Games of chance, especially lottery style games of chance, have been inexistence for many years. Generally, these lottery games are under thecontrol of a state or a number of states. The revenues generated fromlottery style games of chance are typically shared with the publicschool systems within the state as a means of subsidizing the cost ofprograms for children attending public schools. Schools often dependheavily on the revenues from state run lotteries to give children everypossibly learning advantage. States are continually seeking the next newgreat lottery game to keep interest high among the players, which, inturn, helps to ensure a steady stream of revenues for the state and thepublic school system.

During the past few years, state lottery commissions have begun thepractice of licensing eating and drinking establishments to sell lotterytickets. Typically, the lottery tickets are sold at bars, restaurants,and other locales where customers will tend to stay for an extendedperiod of time. One lottery style game of chance that has beenintroduced at these establishments is known as “KENO”. This particulargame allows a player to select a combination of numbers from one (1)through eighty (80). The combination of numbers the player may selectfrom ranges from one (1) through ten (10). The player may wager anyamount on the game he or she wishes, typically from one dollar to twentydollars. The payout to the player is dependent on how many of his or herselected numbers exactly match a set of randomly generated winningnumbers. Generally, there are twenty randomly generated winning numbers.Depending on the quantity of numbers selected, the player may not haveto match all of his or her selected numbers with winning numbers. Forexample, if the player has selected ten numbers, he or she may still wina cash prize if only six of the selected numbers exactly match any ofthe twenty randomly generated winning numbers. However, the winning cashpayout grows with a greater number of selected numbers matching thosewinning numbers that have been randomly generated.

KENO has grown in popularity partly because patrons are able to placewagers and view results within the confines of the establishmentoffering the KENO game. Another aspect of the game that makes it verypopular with the patrons is the fact that a new game may be played everyfive minutes. This allows the player to enjoy playing multiple gameswith a selected set of numbers or allows the player to change numbersevery five minutes.

The benefit for the state lottery commission and ultimately the state'spublic school system is an income stream that occurs every 5 minutesthroughout a day. However, as with any lottery style game of chance,interest in the new game is very high at first, but then begins to waneover time leading to a loss of overall income. The stream of income overfive minute intervals may still remain, but the total revenues begin tofall with a loss of interest.

Therefore, a need exists for a lottery style game of chance thatincreases the interest of consumers by offering players the option toparticipate in multiple drawings with a single wager that provides aplayer multiple potential prize combinations even if the all thenumbers, letters, or characters selected by the player do not matchexactly all the winning numbers, letters, or characters presented by aparticular lottery commission. Furthermore, the lottery style game ofchance may provide for a set periodic interval between games throughoutthe day while allowing players to play the game at local drinking,eating, and gambling establishments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention a method for operating alottery style game of chance is provided that offers a player theopportunity to parlay previous prize winnings into larger potentialprize winnings. The method is comprised of the following steps:Selecting a single number from a group of numbers for a given drawingperiod, randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbersfor the given drawing period, comparing the selected number with thewinning number for the given drawing period, and increasing the size ofthe potential prize each time the number the player selected continuesto match the randomly generated winning number.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will becomemore apparent from the following detailed description, claims, anddrawings, of which the following is a brief description:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lottery wager slip used to indicate to anentity controlling a lottery style game of chance the intentions of alottery player according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting the operation of a Tier 1 wager of asingle draw option of the game according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting the operation of a Tier 2 wager ofthe single draw option of the game according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting the operation of an advance wageroption of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram further depicting the operation of the advancewager option of the game according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred illustrative embodiment ofthe present invention is shown in detail. Although the drawingsrepresent an embodiment of the present invention, the drawings are notnecessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to betterillustrate and explain the present invention. Further, the embodimentset forth herein is not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise to limitor restrict the invention to the precise forms and configurations shownin the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of what a typical lottery wager slip10 may resemble according to an embodiment of the present invention.Included within wager slip 10 are a number of fields that may be markedby the player to indicate his or her lottery gaming intentions to alicensed lottery retailer. In this particular embodiment, the player mayparticipate in the lottery game of chance by employing alternative meansof placing a wager. The player indicates his or her intention as to themethod of wagering by marking in either single draw field 12 or advancewager field 18 on wager slip 10.

Single draw field 12 comprises the components of a single drawing wagerof the game. Within single draw field 12 are a first number selectionblock 14 and a wager block 16. Number block 14 is the area of field 12,which the player selects from, or has randomly chosen, a number he orshe hopes will match a winning number generated by a state's lotterycommission. As depicted in FIG. 1, number block 14 contains a list ofnumbers ranging from zero (0) through nine (9) that may be selected by aplayer. Also provided in number block 14 is an opportunity for theplayer to have a computer randomly select one of the numbers within therange, by selecting “Random Pick”, if the player so desires. It shouldbe understood, however, that the quantity of numbers illustrated innumber block 14 has been presented in order to describe a particularembodiment of the present invention. This particular range of numbers isemployed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increasedor decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.

Wager block 16 is used by the player to indicate the amount of money heor she would like to wager on the lottery game. It should be understoodthat the entity operating the game may decide the size of the wager tobe placed on any one game. A range of wager amounts is illustrated toaid in an explanation of an embodiment of the present invention.

Advance wager field 18 comprises the components of an advanced wageringoption of the game. Within advance wager field 18 are a second numberselection block 20, a consecutive drawings selection block 22, and abonus wager block 24. Number block 20 is the area of field 18, which theplayer selects, or has randomly chosen, a number he or she hopes willmatch the winning numbers generated by a state's lottery commission foreach drawing the player chooses to participate in. As illustrated inFIG. 1, number block 20 consists of six columns of numbers, each rangingfrom zero (0) through nine (9). The player will select a single numberfrom each column based on the number of drawings of the game the playerdecides to play. Also provided in number block 20 is an opportunity forthe player to have a computer randomly select one of the numbers withinthe range, by selecting “R” at the bottom of each column of numbers, ifthe player so desires. Once again, it should be understood, however,that the quantity of numbers illustrated in number block 20 has beenpresented in order to describe a particular embodiment of the presentinvention. This particular range of numbers is employed merely as anexample and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at thediscretion of the entity operating the lottery game.

Consecutive drawings selection block 22 is used by the player toindicate to the lottery commission his or her intentions on the numberof drawings to play in the game. The player may indicate the number ofdrawings to play by selecting one of the numbers two (2) through (6) inblock 22. It should be understood that the entity operating the lotterygame may decide on the number of allowable consecutive drawings for anyplayer to play in the advanced wagering option of the game. Thisparticular range of drawings is employed merely as an example and thesize of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of theentity operating the lottery game.

Bonus wager block 24 is used by the player to indicate to the lotterycommission his or her intention to participate in another aspect of theadvanced wager game. The bonus wager offers the player an opportunity toprotect or insure his or her first wager in the advance wager game. Itshould be understood that the amount of the bonus wager may bedetermined by the entity operating the lottery game. The operation ofthe advance wager game, when a player decides to employ the bonus wageroption, will be described fully below.

FIGS. 2-3 are flow diagrams that illustrate a manner in which the gamemay be operated and played under the single draw option. Referring nowto FIG. 2, the player may begin the lottery game by deciding on theamount he or she wishes to wager as a single draw wager at step 100 byindicating in wager block 16 a wager amount and presenting that amountto a licensed lottery retailer. Next, the player selects a number fromnumber block 14 of single draw field 12 to play at step 105 that he orshe thinks will match the winning number that will be generated by thelottery commission or other entity operating the game. After completingwager slip 10, the player presents the wager slip along with the wagerto a licensed lottery agent for input into a computer system to recordboth the wager and selected number for latter verification after awinning number has been generated. Finally the lottery agent returns alottery receipt at step 110 to the player that contains the selectednumber and wager amount to be represented to the lottery agent if theselected number on the receipt matches the generated winning number.

Generally, the state lottery commission holds a drawing, the frequencyof which to be determined by that entity, to generate a winning numberthat players compare to the number they have selected and are containedon their wager receipt. The generation of a number for use with thisparticular embodiment would be no different. The state lotterycommission will generate a single winning number in any manner itchooses, as depicted at step 115. After the winning number has beengenerated, the player compares the winning number that has beengenerated with the number he or she selected and is contained on thewager receipt at step 120. If the number on their wager receipt matchesthe number generated by the state lottery commission, the player wins aprize, typically some denomination of a cash prize. If, however, thegenerated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt,the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game endsat step 125.

If the number on the wager receipt has matched the generated winningnumber, the player is offered a choice on a course of action to takenext. The player may opt to redeem the wager receipt for the cash prizeat step 130. For example, the player may win a cash prize equal to fivedollars ($5) for every one dollar ($1) wagered. If the player choosesthis course of action, he or she will collect their winnings and thegame will end at step 135.

Alternatively, the player may decide to try and win a larger cash prizeor ‘parlay’ his or her winnings from the previous game. If the player sodecides, he or she forfeits the cash prize, at step 140, that he or shehas won for the opportunity to win a larger cash prize. If the playerdoes indeed decide to proceed further with the game, he or she will nothave the opportunity to claim the previous cash prize even if the playerloses at a later stage in the game. After deciding to continue with thegame at step 140, the player will be directed to continue the game asdepicted in FIG. 3.

The game continues as illustrated in FIG. 3 in much the same manner asdescribed above. The player submits the winning wager receipt and anadditional wager to the licensed lottery dealer at step 200. The playeralso selects a new number from number block 14 at step 205 that he orshe thinks will match the randomly generated winning number.

After the wager has been submitted and the number selected, the detailsof which the licensed lottery dealer inputs into a computer system torecord both the wager and selected number for latter verification aftera winning number has been generated, the player is given a receiptdocumenting the wager as a Tier 2 wager, at step 210, which isdistinguishes this wager from the previous wager receipt received by theplayer at step 110. The receipt contains the selected number and Tier 2wager amount that may be represented to the lottery agent if theselected number on the receipt matches the generated winning number.

The state lottery commission generates a single winning number, asdescribed previously, at step 215. After the winning number has beengenerated, the player compares the winning number that has beengenerated with the number he or she selected and is contained on thewager receipt at step 220. If the generated winning number does notmatch the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game alongwith his or her Tier 2 wager and the game ends at step 225. The playerwill also lose any cash prize that he or she had previously won fromplacing the Tier 1 wager.

If, however, the generated winning number matches the number on thewager receipt, the player is offered yet another choice on a course ofaction to take next. The player may opt to redeem the wager receipt fora cash prize at step 230. For example, the player may win a cash prizeequal to fifty dollars ($50) for every Tier 2 wager if the player chosethe parlay option and has correctly selected the winning numbers in thetwo consecutive drawings of the game the player has played. If theplayer chooses this course of action, he or she will collect their cashprize and the game will end at step 235.

Alternatively, the player may decide to try and win still a larger cashprize by continuing to parlay his or her winnings from the previousdrawings. If the player so decides, he or she forfeits the cash prize,at step 240, that he or she has already won for the opportunity to win alarger cash prize. If the player does indeed decide to proceed furtherwith the game, he or she will not have the opportunity to claim theprevious cash prizes, even if the player loses at a later stage in thegame. After deciding to continue with the game at step 240, the playerwill be directed to continue the game and place a Tier 3 wager on thegame.

If the player so chooses to continue with the Tier 3 wager on the game,the player enters a third round of wagering and number selection just asdescribed in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 wagers of the game and illustrated inFIGS. 1-3. If the generated winning number does not match the number onthe wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wagerand the game ends. The player will also lose any cash prize that he orshe had previously won from placing the Tier 1 and Tier 2 wagers. If,however, the single number selected by the player matches the singlenumber generated by the lottery commission, the player will win the Tier3 wager and will be once again offered the opportunity to keep the cashprize. For example, if the player has selected the winning numbers inthe three consecutive drawings of the game the player has played, theplayer may win a cash prize equal to five hundred dollars ($500) forevery Tier 3 wager. If the player opts to continue with the game he orshe will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prizes,even if the player loses at a later stage in the game.

The number of tiers employed in the game is left to the discretion ofthe lottery entity operating the game. In this particular embodiment ofthe present invention, six tiers are used to illustrate the operation ofthe game and the possible amounts of cash prizes. Wagering and numberselection continue in much the same way as described previously for eachof the subsequent tiers remaining to be played in the game. As long asthe player continues to select the numbers that match the numbersgenerated by the lottery commission the player will continue to win eachgraduated wager tier and larger cash prizes. If the player continues towin, he or she will be offered the option of keeping the cash prize fora particular tier wager or continuing to play until all six wageringtiers have been completed. For example, if the player opts to redeem thewager receipt for a cash prize the player may be entitled to thefollowing cash prizes: If the player chooses to parlay his or herprevious winnings from the Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 wagers into a Tier4 wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to five thousand dollars($5,000) for every Tier 4 wager if the player decides to end the gameafter winning the Tier 4 wager. If the player chooses to parlay his orher previous winnings the Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 wagers intoa Tier 5 wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to fifty thousanddollars ($50,000) for every Tier 5 wager if the player decides to endthe game after the Tier 5 wager. If the player chooses to parlay his orher previous winnings the Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, and Tier 5wagers into a Tier 6 wager, the player may win a cash prize equal tofive hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for every Tier 6 wager.

Also, as stated above, if the generated winning number does not matchthe number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along withhis or her wager and the game ends at that particular tier the playerhas placed a wager on. The player will also lose the cash prizes that heor she had previously won from previous tier or tiers the player hasplaced a wager on.

As stated, six wagering tiers of the game have been described above tomerely illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The entityoperating the game has the ability to alter the number of wagering tiersin use in any manner it sees fit. The examples of wager and cash prizeamounts described above have also been employed merely to illustrate anembodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that thegame may be played with any cash denominations for wagers and cashprizes, as determined by the entity controlling the operation of thegame.

As stated previously, it is also to be understood that the numbersavailable for selection in number block 12, ten (10), have beenpresented in this manner to aid in fully describing an embodiment of thepresent invention. Any combination of numbers may be used in the numberblock as determined by the entity conducting the game.

Alternatively, the player may choose to participate in the game byplacing an advance, one-time wager rather than a single wager for eachdrawing. Advanced wagering allows the player to lay a single wager whileproviding the opportunity to participate in any number of consecutivedrawings from two (2) through six (6). The advance wager option may beplayed with a single wager on all tiers selected as opposed to having toplace a separate, additional, wager on each tier when playing the gameby the single draw option. While the advance wager option offers theconvenience of having to lay only one wager to participate in multipleconsecutive drawings, it also locks the player into the selected numberof drawings. The advance wager option does not allow the player theopportunity of the single draw option, namely, to choose betweencollecting a cash prize or parlaying the cash prize after each winningtier wager.

There are two variations of the advance wager game a player may chooseto participate in. The first variation is of the “all-or-nothing” typewhere the player is locked into a number of consecutive drawings (fromtwo (2) through six (6)) of his or her choosing. If the player choosesto participate in this game, all selected numbers must match all thewinning numbers as drawn in consecutive order for the number of drawingsthe player chose to play. If just one number is incorrect, whether anincorrect number selection or numbers selected out of order, the playerloses the wager amount and the game ends. The second variation allowsthe player to place an additional or bonus wager, an amount to bedetermined by the lottery entity, which provides insurance for theinitial wager. The bonus wager provides the player the potential for aprize even if all of the player's selected numbers do not match thechosen winning numbers. There are, however, two distinctions from thefirst variation of the advance wager game. First, the player selects anumber of consecutive drawings from three (3) to six (6). Second, theamount of the jackpot may be smaller for the second variation than thefirst variation. Of course, this will be determined by the entityoperating the game.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow diagrams that illustrate the operation of theadvance wager option and the two variations of the game according to anembodiment of the present invention. The player indicates his or herintentions in advance wager field 18 of wager slip 10 by selecting andmarking in consecutive drawings selection block 22 and number block 20.The player may begin the lottery game by deciding on the amount he orshe wishes to wager at step 300. In this particular embodiment, thewager amount may be a set amount as determined by the entity operatingthe game, for example, one dollar ($1) may be the wager amount.Alternatively, the lottery commission, or other entity, may allowplayers to select different wager amounts (similar to wager block 16 ofthe single wager option of the game). Also, the player may indicated hisor her intention to participate in the second variation of the advancewager game by marking in bonus wager block 24 or wager slip 10. Forexample, a second one dollar ($1) wager may be collected by the lotteryentity in addition to the initial wager for the first variation of thegame if the player is opting to participate in the second variation ofthe advance wager game.

Next, the player would select how many drawings to play in fromconsecutive drawings selection block 22 at step 305. By selecting anynumber of drawings to play, in the first variation of the advance wagergame, any number of drawings from two (2) through six (6) or in thesecond variation of the game, any number of drawings from three (3)through six (6), the player is locking himself or herself into thatparticular number of consecutive lottery drawings. If the player decidesto play only a single drawing, the player will be directed toparticipate in the single draw option of the game rather than theadvance wager option. Unlike the single draw option, the player choosingto participate in the advance wager option does not have the choice toredeem a winning lottery receipt after a particular drawing if all theconsecutive drawings the player has chosen to participate in have notbeen completed. For example, if the player wishes to play in all sixdrawings, the player cannot decide after having won each of the previousfour drawings to end the game and collect the cash prize. The followingdescribes the operation of both variations of the advance wager game.

After the selection of the number of drawings the player desires to playin, the player will select a number from each of the various columns ofnumbers in number block 20 at step 310. The player will select onesingle number, or, alternatively, opt for the computer to randomlyselect a single number (by selecting “R” rather than a number), fromeach column that corresponds to the number of drawings the player hasselected at step 305 in block 22. For example, if the player hasselected to play in five consecutive drawings, the player would select asingle number (or “R” for random selection) from each of five columns ofnumbers in number block 20. The numbers selected by the player may allbe the same, they may be different, or some or all numbers may be chosenrandomly.

After completing field 18 of wager slip 10, the player presents thewager slip along with the initial wager to a licensed lottery agent toparticipate in the first variation of the advance wager game. If theplayer opts to participate in the bonus wager or second variation of theadvance wager game, the player would present an additional wager alongwith the wager slip and initial wager to a licensed lottery agent. Thelicensed lottery agent will input into a computer system the wager, theselected numbers from the wager slip and the bonus wager, if any, forrecordation and verification purposes after the winning numbers havebeen generated. Finally, the lottery agent returns a lottery receipt atstep 315 to the player that contains the selected number of consecutivedrawings, numbers, and wager amount(s). The receipt may be representedto the lottery agent for validation of a winning receipt if the selectednumbers on the receipt match the generated winning numbers for each ofthe drawings within the selected consecutive drawing period.

The state lottery commission generates a single winning number for eachdrawing, as described previously, at step 320. After the winning numberhas been generated, the player compares the winning number for firstdrawing that has been generated with the number he or she selected forthe first drawing and is contained on the wager receipt at step 325. Ifthe generated winning number for the first drawing does not match thenumber on the wager receipt for the first drawing, the wager receipt maybe valid if the player placed a bonus wager along with the initialwager. If the player did not place a bonus wager as determined at step400, the game will end and the player will lose his or her initialwager. However, if the player opted to place a bonus wager as determinedat step 400, the game will continue and another winning number will begenerated at step 320.

If, however, the generated winning number for first drawing matches thenumber on the wager receipt for first drawing, the wager receipt isstill valid. The player does not have the option of either collecting acash prize or continuing with the game (as is offered in the single drawoption of the game) at this point of the advance wager option of thegame. If the player attempts to redeem his or her receipt at this pointin the game, the lottery commission will identify whether the player hascompleted all the consecutive drawings he or she originally selected atstep 335. If all the drawings have not been completed, the game willcontinue and another number will be generated, as described above, atstep 320. This new, winning, second drawing number will now be matchedto the number selected by the player in the second drawing. If thegenerated winning number for second drawing does not match the number onthe wager receipt for second drawing, the wager receipt, as statedabove, may be valid if the player placed a bonus wager along with theinitial wager. If the player did not place a bonus wager as determinedat step 400, the game will end and the player will lose his or herinitial wager. However, if the player opted to place a bonus wager asdetermined at step 400, the game will continue and another winningnumber will be generated at step 320.

If, however, the generated winning number for second drawing matches thenumber on the wager receipt for second drawing, the player's wagerreceipt is still valid. If the player attempts to redeem his or herreceipt at this point in the game, the lottery commission will identifywhether the player has completed all the consecutive drawings he or sheoriginally selected at step 335. If, for example, the player decides toparticipate in only three drawings of the game, the player may redeemhis or her wager receipt with the lottery commission in exchange for acash prize and the game will end at step 340. If all the drawings havenot been completed, the game will continue as described above andanother number will be generated at step 320.

The first variation of the advance wager option of the game willcontinue in this manner until the player is either unsuccessful inmatching a winning number with his or her selected number at anyparticular drawing or all selected numbers in the selected drawings havebeen successfully matched to the generated winning numbers by thelottery commission, at which point the player may redeem his or herwager receipt for a cash prize.

Examples of a wager and cash prize for the first variation of theadvance wager game may include the following. For a single wager of onedollar ($1) on the advance wager option of the game, a player may win acash prize of fifty dollars ($50) for successfully matching all numbersthrough the second drawing. If all numbers are successfully matched withthe generated winning numbers through third drawing, the player may wina cash prize in the amount of, for example, five hundred dollars ($500),through the fourth drawing, five thousand dollars ($5,000), though fifthdrawing, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), and, finally, through thesixth drawing, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

If, however, the player fails to match the selected number with agenerated winning number for any particular drawing period, the playermay continue to participate in the second variation of the advance wagergame for an opportunity to win other cash prizes if a bonus wager wasplaced. As stated above, if the generated winning number for any drawingdoes not match the number on the wager receipt for that particulardrawing, the lottery entity will determine at step 400 whether a bonuswager was placed. If no bonus wager was placed, the game will end thefirst time the player selected number does not match the generatedwinning number. The player may continue, however, to participate in thegame if the bonus wager was selected and placed at the onset of the gameand a new winning number will be generated at step 320.

The state lottery commission continues to generate a single winningnumber for each drawing, as described previously, at step 320. After thewinning number has been generated, the player compares the winningnumber generated for this particular drawing with the number he or sheselected for the same drawing and is reflected on the wager receipt atstep 405. If the generated winning number for this drawing does notmatch the number on the wager receipt for the same drawing, the lotterycommission determines if the consecutive drawing period has beencompleted at step 410. If the drawing period has been completed, thelottery commission determines at step 420 whether the player hassuccessfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers contained on thewager receipt with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for thegiven consecutive drawing period. If the player has successfully matchedat least two (2) selected numbers with at least two (2) winning numberfor the given consecutive drawing period, the player may win a cashprize.

If, however, the drawing period that the player has participated in iscomplete and the player has not matched at least two (2) selectednumbers with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for the givenconsecutive drawing period, the player will lose any wager and anychance for a prize during the particular drawing period and the gamewill end at step 430.

If the generated winning number for this drawing does match the numberon the wager receipt for the same drawing period at step 405, thelottery commission determines if the drawing period has been completedat step 415. If the consecutive drawing period has been completed, thelottery commission determines at step 420 whether the player hassuccessfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers contained on thewager receipt with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for thegiven consecutive drawing period. If it is determined that the playerhas successfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers with at leasttwo (2) winning number for the given consecutive drawing period, theplayer may win a cash prize.

If, however, the drawing period that the player has participated in iscomplete and the player has not matched at least two (2) selectednumbers with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for the givenconsecutive drawing period, the player will lose any wager and anychance for a prize during the particular consecutive drawing period andthe game will end at step 430.

If the drawing period has not been completed as determined at step 415,winning numbers will continue to be generated at step 320 until aparticular consecutive drawing period has been completed and the gamehas either ended at step 430 with a player losing the initial wager orat step 425 with a player winning a cash prize as determined by thelottery commission.

While a player may be participating in a number of drawings in a singleconsecutive drawing period, for example six drawings, a payout schememay be adapted by the local lottery commission that will award aspecific prize for selecting numbers that match a predetermined numberof correct numbers as drawn by the lottery commission within theconsecutive drawing period. An example of a payout scheme that may beadopted by a lottery commission is illustrated below in Table 1. TABLE 1Example of a payout scheme a lottery commission may adopt for a Six (6)Draw Wager. Consecutive Numbers Matched Prize amount Probability Six (6)Jackpot 1 in 1,000,000 Five (5) $5,000 1 in 55,556 Four (4) $350 1 in3,597 Three (3) $25 1 in 284 Two (2) $2 1 in 24

In the particular example displayed in Table 1 for a six (6) draw wager,a player may win a cash prize if all six of the selected numbers matchthe six chosen numbers in consecutive order. However, if the playerplaces a six (6) draw wager but only matches the selected number five(5) times, four (4) times, three (3) times or two (2) times with thechosen winning number during the given consecutive drawing period, theadvanced wagering game still allows the player to win a cash prize asshown above in Table 1.

A difference between single draw option and the two variations of theadvance wager option of the game is that multiple drawings of theadvance wager option may be played with a single one time wager asopposed to the single draw option where multiple wagers are placed tocontinue to play in each drawing. Another difference between the singledraw option and the advance wager option of the game is that the playerengaging in the single draw option will have the choice to continueplaying in a subsequent drawing or taking the cash prize associated withwinning the previous drawing. The player engaging in the advance wageroption of the game is not given the choice to collect the cash prize; heor she is locked into playing all the consecutive drawings he or sheopted to play in when submitting the wager slip to a licensed lotteryretailer.

Although there are differences that exist between the single draw optionand the advance wager option of the game, they are still based upon thesame principles of a progressive lottery style game of chance. Theplayer that will participate in this style of game is hoping to parlay asmall wager into a much larger cash prize and this particular embodimentof the present invention offers the player two alternatives to do so.

As stated, six tiers of wagering of the game have been described aboveto merely illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The entityoperating the game has the ability to alter the number of tiers in usein any manner it sees fit. The examples of wager and cash prize amountsdescribed above have also been employed merely to illustrate anembodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that thegame may be played with any cash denominations for wagers and cashprizes, as determined by the entity controlling the operation of thegame.

It is also to be understood that the numbers available for selection innumber block 20, ten (10) have been presented in this manner to aid infully describing an embodiment of the present invention. Any combinationof numbers may be used in the number block as determined by the entityconducting the game.

The present invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to the foregoing embodiment, which is merely illustrative ofthe best modes presently known for carrying out the invention. It shouldbe understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives tothe embodiment of the invention described herein may be employed inpracticing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the following claims. It is intended thatthe following claims define the scope of the invention and that themethod within the scope of these claims and their equivalents by coveredthereby. This description of the invention should be understood toinclude all novel and non-obvious combination of elements describedherein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application toany novel non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, theforegoing embodiment is illustrative, and no single feature or elementis essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this ora later application.

1. A method for operating a lottery style game of chance that offers aplayer the opportunity to parlay previous prize winnings into largerpotential prize winnings, comprising the steps of: selecting a singlenumber from a group of numbers for a given drawing period; randomlygenerating a winning number from the group of numbers for the givendrawing period; comparing the selected number with the winning numberfor the given drawing period; and increasing the size of the potentialprize each time the number the player selected matches the randomlygenerated winning number.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1 furthercomprising the step of continuing the game if the selected numbermatches the winning number for the given drawing period.
 3. The methodas recited in claim 2 further comprising the steps of: presenting theprize to the player if the number the player selected matches therandomly generated winning number for the given drawing period;relinquishing the prize if the player elects to continue the game; andselecting a new number from the group of numbers for a new drawingperiod.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the stepof ending the game if the number selected by the player does not matchthe randomly generated winning number.
 5. The method as recited in claim3 further comprising the step of ending the game if the player retainsthe prize.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the playerselects the number from the group of numbers by requesting that thenumber be randomly generated.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1wherein the prizes are cash prizes.
 8. The method as recited in claim 7further comprising the step of determining the amount of the cash prizebased on the amount of a wager placed by a player.
 9. The method asrecited in claim 3 further comprising the step of charging a singlewager each time the player selects a number for a new drawing period.10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step ofselecting to participate in a consecutive draw option of the game. 11.The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:selecting a number of consecutive drawing periods to play; and selectinga number for a group of numbers for each of the consecutive drawingperiods.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising thestep of continuing the game if the selected number matches the winningnumber for the given drawing period.
 13. The method as recited in claim10 comprising the step of ending the game if the number selected by theplayer does not match the randomly generated winning number.
 14. Themethod as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of selectingto participate in a bonus wager option of the game.
 15. The method asrecited in claim 14 further comprising the step of presenting the playera prize if the selected number matches the randomly generated winningnumber for a minimum number of drawings during a given consecutivedrawing period.
 16. The method as recited in claim 14 comprising thestep of ending the game if the number selected by the player does notmatch the randomly generated winning number for a minimum number ofdrawings during a consecutive drawing period.